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PIA News Service - Friday, July 27, 2012

AgNor disaster council assures personnel,
equipment preparedness

BUTUAN CITY, Agusan del Norte, July 27 (PIA) --
The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (PDRRMC) of Agusan
del Norte assured the readiness of its personnel and equipment in cases of
contingencies or calamities, a chief provincial official said.

In an interview, Erma Suyo, PDRRM Officer,
expressed the council’s readiness as a team of evaluators from the Department of
the Interior and Local Government (DILG) in implementing the department’s seal
of disaster preparedness and response came to conduct evaluation and ocular
inspection of the council’s personnel, capabilities and equipment.

The team of evaluators led by Sheila Jaramillo
of DILG-Agusan del Sur, is composed of Fr. Stephen Brongcano of the Social
Action Center (SAC), Butuan Diocese; Lauro Hinaloc, Environment and Natural
Resources Officer of the province; and Ellen Chua of DILG-Agusan del Norte.

Suyo said the evaluation was in line with the
seal of disaster and preparedness which is also an initiative of DILG Secretary
Jesse Robredo for the local government units of the country.

Suyo said that during this morning’s briefing a
form was handed to them by the evaluators with means of verifications.
Evaluation was based on what was declared in terms of the province disaster
preparations and disaster response. The ocular inspection and verification
followed, according to the official.

Suyo also said that the DILG team may report
their findings and make their recommendations to the governor who also is the
chairman of the PDRRMC.

During the briefing, Suyo said, the evaluators
assessed the strength and weaknesses of the province risk reduction program and
its climate change adaptation initiatives. The team then proposed some
suggestions or recommendations to hone the program.

Suyo said the PDRRM’s 53-strong personnel and
its P9-million worth of equipment has now the capability to respond to any
contingencies. The disaster council has two “Saddam Type Vehicles,” which can
operate even on tough weather conditions; an ambulance; a rubber boat, no on
display at the provincial capitol; an upcoming motorboat; and the United
States-made top of the line personal protective gears acquired this year
through the initiative of Agusan del Norte Governor Erlpe John M. Amante. The
province according to her had plans to procure more equipment for the PDRRMC.

Jack Billy Bahian, a training staff of the
PDRRMC also said that the 53-strong personnel of the Agusan del Norte Emergency
Response Team (Adnert) have passed the required search and rescue training and
were now undergoing their water, search and rescue (Wasar) training as well.
They are now capable of responding to any height and water rescue, he said.

Bahian said the personnel and equipment of
Cabadbaran City Search and Rescue Contingent and trained personnel from the
municipality of Magallanes can augment the provincial rescue contingent.

Other municipalities of the province may soon
conduct their own search and rescue trainings, Bahian said. (RER/NCLM/PIA-Caraga)

Football clinic goes to a barangay in Butuan

By Eldie N. David

BUTUAN CITY, Agusan del Norte, July 27 (PIA) --
A football clinic dubbed, “Kasibulan Football Grassroots Festival will be
staged on July 29 at the rural area in Maguinda National High School Football
grounds in Brgy. Maguinda in Butuan City.

The Butuan-Agusan Norte Football Association
(Banfa) and the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) organized the football
clinic.

It is the first time that a football clinic,
which is offered for free to all participants, of this magnitude will be staged
in Butuan City, more so in the rural area like Brgy. Maguinda.

Now on its third leg of staging, the football
clinic aims to introduce the game of football to more than 3,000 children aged
six to 12 years old from all walks of life.

Around 600 children have already registered to
participate in the clinic. The kids are mostly from schools in Brgy. Maguinda
and in the neighboring barangays such Tungao, San Mateo, Sumile, Maibu,
Dangkias, Amparo, among others.

The first two editions of the said clinic
attracted around 1,000 kids held at the Butuan City Sports Complex in Brgy.
Libertad in Butuan City.

Butuan City Vice Mayor and Banfa President
Lawrence “Law” Fortun said he feels ecstatic that they will be able to bring
this clinic to the rural area.

“We should take advantage of this opportunity as
not all the major cities in the country is given the chance to host this clinic
which is patterned after the successful grassroots development program of
Germany,” Fortun said.

Football has become popular after the Philippine
Team Azkals romped with several wins in international tournaments during the
past years when most Filipinos were engrossed on basketball.

The clinic, which is also held in several key
cities, is also aimed at discovering new talents who could be part of the Team
Azkals who will be competing in the 2018 Asian Football Cup.

To date, the program has produced a member of
Team Azkals in the person of Chiffy Caligdong who is a product of the program
in the late 1990s.

There will also be basic training on coaching in
the first two days of the clinic on July 27 to 28 at the same venue.

The Philippine Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) and
the Department of Education (DepEd) in Butuan support the clinic. (RER/NCLM/BC-VMO/PIA-Caraga)